Photographic-film-treating apparatus



I r 1,537,051 F, B. THOMPSON 5v Sheets-5heet l Filed Fieb' 9 1924 June 1 ,-1926.

' PHoToGRAPHIc ULM TREATING APPARATUS :June 1 1926. 1,587,051 v F. B. THoMPsoN PHOTOGRAPHIE; FILM TREATNG APPARATUS F119@ Feb. 9, 1924 s vsvmms'neefvz 'i f o h F B. THOMPSON PHOTOGRAPHC FILM TREATIN-G APPARATUS `lune 1 1926.

Filed Feb. 9. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 invento/o @fo/fio? Zal/yfz um my l films ofthat kind used for the projection of. motion pictures, and is more particularly Patented AA@lune -l, 1926.

UNiTEDl STATES 1 AT|:-:1\"rf OFFICE.-

PHOTOGBABIC-IILM-TREATING APPARATUS.

`Application led Februaryx, 1924. Serial No. 691,634..`

. This invention relates tovan apparatus for the developing and fixing of photographic directed to an improved means of causing the photographic film tape to travel through tanks containing a developing solution, rinsing water, a fixmg solution, and subsequently through ca- 'series of tanks containing wash water.

Photographic films made' of semi-transarent or translucent material (such as used 1n taking and for projecting motion pictures) are not of great tensile strength and are, likewise easily torn. Machines constructed for the automatic development .of

these film tapes have, for the lmost part,

proved to be unsatisfactory, the reason for which may bethat the film, when immersed in these liquids and solutions, expands, and on subsequent drying of the liquid again contracts to its former length. Machines have bee'n constructed that employ a carrier ribbdn threaded through the apparatus for carrying the film; however these photo- .graphic films are easily scratched and blurred, especially when wet, so that these machines, while operative, have many disadvantages which it is the object of this invention to overcome. I

The complete apparatus for developing photographic films comprises a drying unit 'in combination with this developing, fixing and washing unit. This application deals with the latter unit, while the former unit, the drying end, is thesubject of my copending application filed February 9, 1924,

Serial Noe 691,633.

It is to be understood that the units employed in Ythis apparatus are variable in size and shape and, with a unit as disclosed in this application, I have discovered that I am able to developI between five thousand and seven thousand linear feet of photoraphc film tape per hour, the rateA being or the most art dependent on the condition of the au' admitted into the drying chamber.

An object of this invention may be to provide a photographic vfilm treating apparatus wh1ch will speedily laccurately and perfectly develop, rinse, fix and wash photographic film tape.

An ob'ect of this invention may he' to provide a p otographic yfilm processlng ap aratus in which photographic films are eveloped using a4 minimum of the expensive chemicals. v

.An o'bj ect of this invention may be toy provide'a photographic film processing apparatus '1n which the film tape is driven, having the film tape rollers adapted to compensate Ifor the change of length of the film.

An object of this invention may be to provide an apparatusfor developing film tape in which the film carria e umts are removable from the liquid tan s in order to repair a broken film or to repair the carriage without removal or loss of the solutions from their respective tanks.

An object of this invention maybe to provide an apparatus for developing film tape having tanks so adapted that the water used for washing the film tape runs counter-cur- In the drawings, similar numbers andfigures refer to similar parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a i photographic film developing apparatus embodying this inventioen, and illustrating a manner of threading the film tape *through the apparatus as well as a means of suspending the film carriages in the liquid tanks.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation 'df the liquid tanks shown in Figure 1, illustrating the drive mechanism embodied in this invention, the guiding means for the suspension of the film carriage in the tanks, as well as the piping for the countercurrent fiow of the wash water through the washing and rinsing tanks. l

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of this film sensitizing applaratus taken on the line 3--3 of Fi ure 1, s owing a means for drivin(r a set o rollers to impart motion to .the film ta e.

ig. 4 is a sectional side elevationtaken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, showing one unit of the film carriage apparatus yembodied in this invention and illustrating al be treated or developed and dried, is wound.-

A thread film 4 is threaded through the vno entire aipparatusa to the end of which film 4 the fi m 3 is secured in any well known manner. The film tape 3 first passes over a roller 5to position the film.

From the roller 5. the film 3 is threaded over the first ofthe up er rollers 6 in the developing tank 7, an around the lower rollers 19, as illustrated in Figure 2, in which tank 7 thev film is develo ed. 'lfhe film 3 is then rinsed free `of the eveloping solution in a rinsing tank 8 which tank 8/'is se arated from the Ytank7 by a partition 9. Tlge film tape 3 then travels -to a fixing tank 10, which tank 10 may be divided into separate tanks 10 by partitions y41. Leaving the fixing tank 10 the film is *carried to a series of washing tanks 13 which tanks 13 are preferably se arated by the partitions 14.

lThe film, t orou'ghly washed, then asses to the wringers 15 b means of whic the surface. water carrie on and by the film tape 3 is thorou hly removed. From the wringers 15 the lm ta e3 is driven to the drier 16 and dried. finally wound on take-iup reels 17 and is ready for pro'ection in a motion picture prjectino mac ine.

o dri-ive the slm tape e airtugh the .apparatus I provide the following arrangement of arts: Y i

The Elin tape 3 leaving the positioning roller 5 is trained over a pair of idlerollers 18 and over the' endmost idle roller 6, the

. film tape assing then down over one of the the last idle roller 6,

over the pressure id er 20, which idler 20 endmost riven rollers 19, `then back over the second idle roller 6, thenover the second 'driven roller 19, and so on so that said film tape 3 is trained substantial] helically from end to end of said first set ofyidle and driven rollers 6 and 19. After being trained over he-film tape is trained tends to com ensate `for the elongation of the ta e 3. he film tape 3, after being traine over the last idle roller 6 of the first set, is then trained over 'the first idle roller Y 6 in the next tank at the same end of the tank, and the driven rollers 19 of the second set, so that the said film tape will pass alternately in opposite directions lielically over the several sets of rollers 6 and 19, and thus practically zigzags through the apparatus rom end to end thereof.

The idle rollers 6 are loosely journaled on the rods 21 in Suitable bearings 23, which .rods 21 are secured at their respective ends in suitable brackets 22; the side flanges 24 and thel end collars 25 being adapted to roperly space tle rollers 6 on the rods 21.

he flanges 24 also act as guides for the film ta e 3, causing the film tape 3 to' be propery positioned on the rollers 6. The rollers 19 are keyed or otherwise suitably secured to the shafts 26; the rollers 19 have a raised edge portion 27 and 'depressed cenhe film tape 3 isl tral portions 28 and have central supporting rims 29 these rollers being soA adapted to allow the solution to get behind the film tape .on these rollers 19 to release any capillary attraction between the film and the rollers and to more efficiently impart their inotion to the film tape 3.

The shafts 26 are driven in any suitable `manner and are all driven at the same rate of speed, thedriving means shown comprising a worin 30, driven in each case from a vertical shaft 31 extending downward from the top of the tanks. A horizontal shaft 32 extends the' len h of the treating tanks 7, 8, 10 and 13, an drives each of the shafts 80 31 by means of a ear arrangement 33, shown in Figure 3. gThe shaft 32 is journaled in bearin s 34, which bearings 34 are secured in bracets 35 resting on the edge 36 of the liquid tanks. Each bracket is 55 formed in art by the angle iron 37, which iron runs ongitudinally the length of the tanks 7, 8, 10,and 13.

A pair ofrods 38 is secured at their upper ends to the said angle iron 37 and form a 90 means of carrying thenlower brackets 39, holding each shaft 26 in its respective position in the liquid tanks 7, 8, 10 and 13.

On the op osite side of the liquid tanks a second ang e iron 40 is positioned, and Ato 95 which an le iron 40 a second pair of rods 41 is securer the rods' 4l holding brackets 42 suspended in the respective tanks and holding the op osite ends of the driven shafts 26. The s afts 26, itis understood, are

'ournaled in suitable bearings 43, which earings ai'e held in theY brackets 39 and 42, respectively. The rods 38\and 41 are held in spaced relation by an suitable means, such as the acing members 44 shown in 105 Fi re 3. lese` carriages are, by some suc arrangement as heretofore described, held in suspension in the respective liquid tanks.

The angle irons 37 and 40 are secured to no the shafts 45, which shafts 45 are adapted to slide in suitable housings 46. The housings 46 act as guides to osition the carriages in the liquid tanks. .Iglo rods '45 are fitted with stops 47, the stops 47 arresti-ng the 115 descent of the carriages into the tanks.

To raise these film carriages from the tanks I` have shown the following preferred means: Y

To the ends of the angle irons 37 and 46 12 cables 48 are secured and extend upward, and are secured at the uppermost ends to a ring 49. A cable A50 is securedto the ring 49 andpasses through a pulley 51, which pulley. 51 is secured to the ceilin of the 125 room in which the apparatus is installed, preferably directly above the center of the iquid tanks. A second pulley 52 is secured to the c eiling in any desired place; the cable Y 50 passing through the second pulley 52 is 13 secured to aweght53, the weight 53 beingv justsufiicient to balance the weightof the film carriage in the liquid tanks.' Bythis means the carriage may be elevated from the liquid tanks by exerting a pressure on the` ca le 5f) in excess of the weights; so that the/ The shaft 32 i's connected to ashaft 54 by means of suitable gearing.5 5,the vs haftf54` having a keyway 56 extending actically its entire len h. A beveled gear 57 is keyed to this s aft 54 in such a manner as to f '1 allow the shaft 54 to slide through the gear ,57 and to be driven by the gear 57 at any point along' its-entire length. The beveled gear 57 is adapted to mesh with la beveled ear 58, both of which gears 57 and 58 are (Y held in position in ac suitable carriage.

bracket 59. The gear 58 is keyedtothe shaft 60, which shaft 60 is adapted to transmit power to the drier as well as the develo er end of this ap aratus. shjaft 60 is a belt pulley 61, which belt ypulley is connected to any suitable source of power, such as that shown at 62 in Figure 1.

To wash the film, I have discovered that a counter-current flow of water through the washing and rinsing tanks is most desirable, as herelnafter described. Water enters the last'washing tank 13 at a point near thel bottom, as shown at 63; the water Hows upwards in this tank 13 vto a point near the top, where it overflows through the pipe 64 to the bottom ofthe tank 13b, overrunning from the tank 13h through the pi e 65 to theta-nk 13, overfiowin from t' etank 13 through a pipe 66 to t e tank 13d, and hence from the tank 13d through the pipe 67 to the tank 13, from which tank 13e the water overflows through a pipe 68 to the rinsing tank 8. The water there overflows from the rinsing tank 8 and is led through a pipe 69 lto the sewer or is otherwise disposed of.

The develo ing tank 7 is fitted with a discharge pipe 0 so that the developing solution may be drained therefrom and analyzed or replaced, as desired.

Likewise, a drain pipe is fitted to the fixing tank'10' for a like purpose.

The rollers of each unit progressing from the developing tank through the rinsing,

fixing, and to and through the last washin tank aremadefprogressivelyr smaller in pito diameter; land I have discovered that a change of pitch diameter of approximately .005 of an inch between the rollers of each carriage unit provides an apparatus in and through whic the film tape will be effi'- ciently and effectually driven.

Keyed to theI -driven rollers being of progressiv i The rollers 1S) are preferably made of aV hardwood, such as lignum 'vitae wood, or'ofany other Su'itableform of a non-eleetrolytlc' material, and are so Idegraded in size for the additional purpose of compensating for vany increase in diameter due to the swellinf ,off

the wood-whe n subiected to the action of'the liquids. -This decreasing of diameters of the rollers of eachunit insures that the film tape will at no time be subject to agreat strain or tension and' that sufficient slack` will-at all times be present to just enable the bottom-rollers to frictionally engage to the `film tapeto drive the same' through the apparatus and is in addition to the natural in\ 30 be varied in detail without departing fromv the'spirit of the appended claims. IV claim z-f 1. `In a photographic film treating apfparatus,l the combination of a container, means to divide the container] into separate developing, rinsing, fixing and washing tanks, a series of sets of idle rollers, a series of sets of driven rollers, said etsaof ecreasing diameter from the first set. y .l

'2. In a photographic 'film treating apparatus, the combination of a tank, a series` ofshafts secured within the top ofthe tank,

`a series of rollers journalled on the shafts,

a series of sets of shafts within the tank rollers keyed to the latter shaft, means for) driving the shaft to which the said rollers are keyed causing the film to travel through the" apparatus, the set of rollers of each shaft having smaller pitch@ diameters proceeding toward the yfilm entrance end of the apparatus.

3. In a photographic film treating apparatus, the combination of a tank divided intocseparate developing, rinsing, fixing and washing chambers, a shaft carrying rollers in the upper portion of each separate cham; ber, a shaft carrying rollers in the lower portionL of ach tank over which rollers a film tape is rained, means todrive one of said shafts so that the film tape is frictionally driven through the said chambers', and the set of driven rollers being of decreasing pitch diameter from thesaid developing chamber to the washing machine.

, 4. vPhotographic film treating apparatus comprising a film carriage vhaving a plurality of upper shafts, rollers on the upper shafts, a plurality of lower` shafts, rollers on the lower` shafts, means for driving the rollers on'one of said shafts, means for compensating lfor the change of length of the film when treated, comprisingfa change of pitch diameter of the rollers on' the shafts,

vcreasein length of the film tape when so said pitch diameter of the rollers bein pgs e.

l comprising a container, film carriage units gressively smaller proceeding throug apparatus from the film tape pntrance.

5. Photographic film treating apparatus ameter of the rollers being smaller progressing through the machine and means for driving the lower shafts.

6. In a photographiefilm 'treating apiaratus, the combination of a container, iilm carriage units suspended withm the container, means for raising the carnage 1units from the container, each of said carriage units comprising an upper shaft, roll ers journaled onv the shaft, a lower shaft, rollers keyed to the lower shaft, and means to drive a set of rollers, the pitch diameter of the rollers being progressively smaller roceeding through the apparatus from the li'ilm entrance en 7 In a photographic film treatmgI ap.- paratus, the combination of a container,

. means dividing the container 'into separate developing, rinsing, fixing and Washing tanks, means to cause water to flow throu h the Washing tanks and hence through t e `v rinsing tank, film carriage umts suspended within the separate tanks, each of said units comprising upper and lower shafts, lm

rollers von ,said shafts said film rollers 'of each unit having profressively smaller pitch diameter from the fil-in entrance and means for driving therollers on one of said shafts.

8. In a photographie film treating :ap-

' the carriage and over which the film tape is trained, and the said driven rollers-being of decreasing diameter from the said de` veloping chamber.

9. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination of a container, means divid-I ing the container into separate developing, rinsing, fixing and washing tanks, film carria 'e units suspended with the separate tan speech of which units comprise upper and 'lower shafts, film rollers 'on r,the said shafts, the rollers on the lower shaft bein constructed of a non-electrolytic materia Vand means for driving the film tape over the said rollers. f

Signed at Los Angeles, Qalifornia, this 1st day of February, 1924. y

FREDRICK B. THOMPSON. 

